UNH Wildcats @ UAlbany

At around six o’clock tonight, we’ll know whether to hit the panic button (losing at home to a fringe top 4 team means we are likely closer to the basement than we had hoped) or if this team has the ability to steady the ship after a few rough games.

In today’s article in the TU, it was nice to see that Will Brown and I are on the same page: He spoke of the need to drop the minutes of the big 3 plus Devlin from the 37,38 range down to the low 30’s and said that he is going to challenge his bench players. We’ll see if the likes of Tartt and Allen came pull through this afternoon.

Look for UNH pressure UAlbany similar to Wagner and also to establish DiLiegro down low. Here’s the scouting reporton UNH from AE guru Sam Perkins:

Sam Perkins on UNH:

In the early going the season-ending injury to Alvin Abreu forced UNH to work the ball in to Dane DiLiegro, and he blossomed, playing like a 1stTeam All-Conference player, dominating the low post, showing off several low-post moves that I didn’t think he had. He also cleaned up the glass. However, the past three games (URI, Central Conn, Cornell) DiLiegro has been benched for long periods of time. It’s reportedly due to poor efforts on the defensive glass. Whatever the reason, DiLiegro needs to snap back into high-gear, and UNH needs him on the floor to have a chance. Ferg Myrick continues to show flashes of brilliance – looking like he belonged on the floor with Uconn, but also continues to have his share of “bonehead” moments. He’s a talent, but still very, very raw. Tyrone Conley really forced things in the first few games after Abreu’s injury, but has actually calmed it down and is finally looking like he might be coming out of the “chucker” mindset he spent his first 3 years in.

UNH has four freshmen: PG Jordan Bronner, G/F DeAndray Buckley, SG Scott Morris, and PF Kazadi Nyanguila.Nyanguila is a big body who is raw and a ways away from making any kind of impact. Morris was billed as a big-time shooter, but has been much more of a pop-gun (although to be fair he has battled injuries). Bronner has looked mostly like a freshman running the point. The one who has impressed me is Buckley – I really like his game; he’s a terrific energy player and defender, but against URI he showed some real flashes on offense. He’s a definite keeper.